THE HUNNA

THE HUNNA

The Hunna are 4-piece alternative rock band hailing from Hertfordshire, UK. The band most recently has been on tour with LYKA childhood favorites Jimmy Eat World on a slew of sold out shows, exposing American audiences to their raw, gritty live gigs, showcasing songs from their debut LP release titled 100. Their live show is full of energy, embracing infectious pop melodies paired with rock & roll grit, fluid guitar riffs and drum patterns, topped by their charming and charismatic personalities.

Already garnering a large following in the U.K., confirmed by a few long-awaited sold out debut U.S. shows, The Hunna in their crossover to the States are about to disrupt the American band scene. We caught them opening for Jimmy Eat World at the intimate and legendary Troubadour, snapped a few polaroids and asked the Brit lads a few questions about their debut full length, touring in the US vs. UK, and what 2017 has in store for the band.

Where does the band name stem from?We said 1hunna for a long time aka 100, as we have a outlook on giving everything 100%, and Hunna is a hip-hop term for that. One day hungover we decided to put The in the front and we became The Hunna.

How did you guys meet, how long has the band been a project, and was there a defining moment when you all knew you had to be making music together?Tino & BD went to college together, IK met the guys locally as they knew him as an experienced drummer, and Prince Jamma went to school with BD and was a guitarist ready to join on bass. We realised 4-5 years ago that we all wanted to be in the band for the long run. It was natural and meant to be!

How was the tour with Jimmy Eat World?So dope. We have been massive fans of theirs since our teens, and to play with them in amazing venues and meet loads of new fans was amazing. Jimmy live are incredible with amazing songs and they are real genuine guys, we will remember it forever.

How has the US audience reaction been to the project? What differences have you noticed between US and UK audiences? The American crowds are super lovely with a real enthusiasm for our music. We are rocking hard and they are connecting to our songs and energy on stage. UK fans are gnarly too as we have been known for longer back home, but we love anyone who digs our music!

You guys are in great company at 300 Entertainment, how did you guys get linked with them and know it was the right fit?We are massive fans of hip hop, especially artists signed to 300 such as Fetty and Jeffery (Young Thug) so it felt right for us as we are influenced a lot with the music, culture and fashion. Our manager Carl from High Time and Lyor linked and it was a done deal. Shoutout to our 300 High Time squads!

How would you describe your sound and where do you draw inspiration from to write your music? Turn up rock, we have been influenced by so many artists across loads of genres. We also love to jam real rock and write about real life experiences we have been through individually and together.

What process goes into recreating the songs for the live show?At the moment we play a pretty raw set up that still replicates the album with a heavy live twist.

How much attention do you pay to your visual brand (videos, photos, album artwork, etc.?) Where do you pull visual inspiration from? We pay 1hunna attention to it as it’s super important to us. We pull inspiration from so many areas from films, artwork, tattoos, hip hop videos, rock visuals, fashion and our home boy Haris Nukem creates all of our visual artwork in the UK.

What are you listening to lately? We listen to all sorts but at the moment a few to list are: Vince Staples, You Me At Six, Highly Suspect, Bon Iver, Kings of Leon, Jimmy Eat World, Bridie Florence, Gucci Mane and Giggs.

What do you guys like to do outside of music?We love to go cinema, play soccer, get tattoos, jam with home squad and family. Chill out and hit a hot tub and eat lots of home meals.

What has been your proudest moment as a band so far and what is your definition of success?We've had many highlights this year including Reading and Leeds Festival, sold out UK tour including Kentish Town Forum, which was the biggest headline show we have played to date. The album release was a big moment for us and for us to be real, write music that excites us and to work super hard in all areas to be the best you can be with love and passion.

What can we expect from the Hunna in 2017?UK tour in January and then onto Europe, potential joint tours with a dope band, festivals and then back to America!